Brian Kelly's Breakdown: LSU Football's Game Plan Heading Into Week 1 vs. Clemson

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will square off against Clemson on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium with all eyes set to be on the Top-10 matchup in Week 1.

After significant buildup across the last few months, both programs continue putting the final touches on their game plan ahead of the season opening showdown.

For Kelly and the Bayou Bengals, there will be a significant focus on containing Clemson signal-caller Cade Klubnik and his ability to extend plays with his legs.

On the other side of the ball, the LSU Tigers could look to utilize multiple 12-personnel sets with the tight end tandem of 6-foot-7, 245-pounder Trey'Dez Green alongside Oklahoma Sooners transfer Bauer Sharp.

Kelly dove into a few aspects of the game to keep tabs on heading into the weekend. What did LSU's shot-caller have to say?

Brian Kelly's Take: Week 1 Edition

Containing Cade Klubnik's Escapability

"He's central to their run game. You can go back to last year's Texas A&M game [for us]. We didn't handle ourselves very well, or the Alabama game. Whoever you want to point out - South Carolina, I could keep going.

"We didn't do a very good job against the running quarterback, so it's important that we contain him within the run game. Look, he's going to do things outside the realm; that's what he does. He's really good at that. We've got to keep him in the pocket and make him operate from there.

LSU Tigers Football. — Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; A view of the SEC logo as Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) eludes the rush of Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) during the second half of the CFP National Playoff first round game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"But their run game is certainly part of what they do. But they've got a lot of things from an offensive standpoint that you have to defend, and there's only a few things you can do. You want to play fast. You want to play physical. You want to make sure that you don't give up the big shots.

"They like to get big shots down the field, and then you've got to stop the quarterback from really hurting you running the ball. That's kind of central to what we're looking at.

Utilizing 12-Personnel Against Clemson

"I think you want to get your best players on the field, and we could probably put five receivers on the field and not have a running back back there and say that those are your five best. But that's not really the way the game's played. You have to be tactical in what you do and matching up against what defenses do.

"12 makes sense for us. Will we feature it from a percentage standpoint 80 percent of the time? Probably not. But I think it's going to have a good mix in what we do because it's smart to put Trey'Dez Green and Bauer Sharp on the field.

"If it weren't smart, I'd probably stay away from 12 and be good somewhere else. So it's using your own personnel that you have. It's being tactical against your defense. And then it's trying to find that balance of how do you get those receivers on the field as well, because you're pulling one off the field when you go 12. So, it's a little bit of everything."

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers Football team worked through Day 6 with Garrett Nussmeier and Trey'Dez Green shining. — Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers Football program Day 6 of Spring Camp.

Caden Durham's Progression as a Blocker

"We have a high standard, and you guys all know this, that follow us. Josh Williams was as good as there is. And so that actually left a really good standard for watching film and showing our backs. This is how you have to help in these kinds of situations when you're called on.

"But Caden does a really good job. I think Coach Wilson is, if there's one thing that he is really a stickler on, it's you got to protect. If you want to get on the field, you can't be a liability there. I think all those kids have done a nice job."

LSU's Growth on Defense

"I just think there's a lot of confidence back there. So, how do you measure confidence? It's just the way they handle themselves, the way they play. They believe in themselves. There's a trust factor that they're going to go make a play. I think it starts with confidence.

"Confidence comes from playing the game. A lot of those guys who are back there now have played a lot of football. They're experienced players. When you bring that experience forward, things like confidence come out, high competitive drive.

"So, we've got to put it all together. That's why there's great anticipation going into Saturday. I think I have a trained eye as to what I'm looking at, and what I see more than anything else is a group that's very confident."

Kelly and the LSU Tigers will open the 2025 season on Saturday night at Clemson with kickoff set for 6:52 p.m. CT on ABC.

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